Why should I have to buy YOUR Christmas presents for my children?

Let me set the scene: I have three children, and they have lots of doting aunts and uncles, not to mention three grandparents, who are all most generous at Christmas and happily buy them beautiful presents for which my lot are very grateful.

But increasingly a new system appears to be emerging and it's slowly driving me to distraction.

"Could you just pick up something for the children," said my mum some years ago. "I'll put the money in your account but I don't know what they like these days and you do."

Fair enough Mum, I thought to myself, and very soon I found myself wrapping these presents too, and just giving her the tags to write. "I hope someone looks after me when I'm a little old lady like you," I joked, and she smiled and reminded me that when I'd had six children (like her) and I'm in my eighties (like her), I too will have earned such perks of the job.

But increasingly my sisters have started doing the same. "I'm snowed under at work and I just don't see myself getting much time for Christmas shopping this year," trilled my sister Maggie another Christmas. "If you could just buy something for your three, I'll put the money in your account of course, but you know what they like."

Remind me, where had I heard this before?

Then last Christmas I finally ended up buying my Mum's presents for my children, plus presents from my five sisters. The maths isn't that hard – three children multiplied by six relatives – that's a staggering, not to mention obscene, 18 presents.

Luckily, in bemoaning my fate in the playground this morning my friend Jinny told me to stop whinging and instead gave me some great advice. Reader, in true Parentdish fashion, and with huge thanks to Jinny, I list her suggestions below – they may just help you from pulling your hair out too.

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Sit down and work out how much, on average, you will have to spend on your children. If six relatives give £10 per child, tell your children they have a £60 budget from their family and ask them for their ideas. The suggestion that they save some, have some spent for them, and even make a donation to charity, will go down well, or like a lead balloon.

2. Over a family meal bring the conversation around to the topic of Christmas presents – is there something your child would really love, or an event they are desperate to attend? Sometimes it's far better to enjoy one fabulous trip, such as to a show with a pizza to follow, then to have six smaller presents which they can't find by February.

In the past we have designed whizzy little certificates on the computer, announcing they are off to see a show in between Christmas and New Year, or even later in the new year. It gives them something to look forward to and avoids a mound of unwanted presents.

3. Ask them to start writing their wish list to Father Christmas early. Tell them they can put a certain number down, but tell them you don't think they should post it for a month. This will give them time to think, keep them busy, and, when you have a sneaky look, will give you a heads-up on what they are really hoping for.

4. If there seems no way around buying lots of presents, start shopping now. It's far better to buy two or three presents a week, in a calm and unhurried fashion, in the run up to Christmas, rather than running out like a lunatic two weeks before 25 December and going into melt-down when you realise Argos is out of everything you had planned on purchasing.

5. And for a really radical approach – discuss with family members the idea of everyone having one decent present in a Secret Santa deal, and every family also making a donation to charity – preferably one which has a personal meaning for your family. Like we say, radical, but surely a good idea?

Do you end up buying your children's presents from relatives?
Or do you have x times the dreaded book voucher?

Christmas gifts for children aged five -10 years

Draw-on trainers for kids to customise and add their own street cred stamp to. Special colouring pens and stickers are included and when they’ve got tired of one look, they can wipe it all off with the special Skribbies wristband and start again. Sizes junior 10 to adult 3 (if they don’t fit, returns are free) and with blue, black/ yellow or pink/red colour options.

If you’re shopping for one of those children who is already more than amply supplied with every toy going, check this out: First News brings an interesting and child-appropriate take on the week’s news, and packs in plenty of fun features too. Buy a 6 month Christmas gift subscription and they’ll receive a world map poster and sticker set, meaning there’s something to open on the big day.

Cuddly toy meets robotic pet: this year’s Furby incarnation, the Boom, is set to be one of Christmas 2013’s hot toys. Choose from a range of funky colours and designs. Note: the free app needed to maximise the Furby fun is compatible with Android and Apple devices.

One of the most popular playground crazes of recent years, Moshi Monsters are still going strong. They can shop ‘til they drop, get pampered in the spa or boogie the night away in the disco of this fabulous all-singing, all-dancing Moshling Mall.

Create different layouts over several storeys before setting the new breed of gravity-defying Hexbugs off on their scuttling and scurrying adventures. The set contains 51 components and one new generation Hexbug that can climb vertically as well as horizontally.

Still a lot to spend but if you’re looking to get them a tablet of their own, the 7-inch hudl has a solid mix of performance, kid kudos and price, oh and those all important parental controls too. PC Advisor’s top cheap tablet of 2013.

Packed with small school life details and little accessories, right down to the microscope and paper for the science lab, and everything from a basketball hoop to lockers. Heartlake High brings tons to play with and is unlikely to disappoint LEGO Friends fans.

Colourful and impressively realisitic robotic fish that can bring the fun factor back to older kids’ bath-times. And unlike their real pet fish counterparts, there’s no risk of finding these floating upside down in the fish bowl one morning (although of course their batteries might run out…) .

They’ll be the coolest kid in the park with this graffiti skateboard. Tough and sturdy construction means it’s built to withstand more than a few knocks – inevitable as they fly off the ramps at alarming speeds.

When an ordinary night at the museum turns criminal, it’s up to the LEGO police force to save the day and those immensely valuable artefacts. This superb set comes with a police van and helicopter, criminals’ getaway car and six mini-figures, including two suitably evil looking burglars, as well as the museum building itself.